PPE Selection Calculator

This calculator turns a basic hazard assessment — what kind of hazard, and how intense the exposure is — into a rough map of which PPE categories are typically warranted and what outfitting a workforce might cost. Each hazard type maps to a different subset of protection categories: impact and electrical hazards call for head protection, chemical and biological hazards call for respiratory protection, and — per OSHA's PPE standard (29 CFR 1910.133) — every hazard category assessed here calls for eye protection, since flying particles, chemical or biological splash, and injurious light or electrical-arc radiation are all recognized eye hazards; only the level (safety glasses at lower exposure, goggles or a face shield at medium/high exposure) scales with how intense the exposure is. Hand protection likewise applies across all five hazard categories and scales directly with exposure level — low exposure calls for lighter-duty gloves, high exposure calls for heavier-duty gloves. Body protection works differently: it's a binary gate rather than an intensity multiplier, switching on only at medium or high exposure, and its cost tier is set by an explicit per-hazard severity level — biological hazards carry the heaviest body-protection tier, reflecting the more extensive barrier gear bloodborne-pathogen work calls for, while impact hazards carry the lightest — rather than by the numeric position of the hazard option in the list.

Longer daily exposure duration (over 4 hours) doubles the estimated hand-protection cost, reflecting that PPE deployed for a full shift wears out and needs replacing faster than PPE used briefly. Multiplying the resulting per-worker annual cost by headcount gives a budget-planning total. What this tool does not account for: OSHA's actual mandatory hazard assessment process under 29 CFR 1910.132, which requires a documented, workplace-specific evaluation rather than a general category lookup, or NIOSH/ANSI-rated equipment selection for a specific chemical, particulate, or thermal hazard — treat this as a budgeting starting point, not a substitute for a certified safety professional's hazard assessment.